Chelsea loanee Tomori says World Cup win was on par with Albion’s promotion

Fikayo Tomori. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)

Published:10:00Saturday 17 June 2017

Share this article

Fikayo Tomori says winning the World Cup with England’s under-20 was on a par with achieving promotion to the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Chelsea loanee spent the back half of the season with the Seagulls, making nine appearance after joining in January, as they went on to finish runners-up in the Championship.

The 19-year-old then went on to play the entire tournament - from the group stages to the 1-0 victory over Venezuela - as England lifted their first major trophy since the historic success in 1966.

And with that amazing accolade behind him, Tomori has credited his spell at Albion as ‘very beneficial’.

On his World Cup success, he said: “It’s up there with getting promotion last season. We didn’t manage to win the league, but getting into the Premier League is one of the biggest things in football.

“To then win a World Cup, which is a big thing at any level, it topped off a great season for me.

“At the beginning on the season I was just playing for the under-23s and wasn’t sure if I was going out on loan. But to then go up with Brighton and win the World Cup, it’s something I never would have imagined.

“It was very beneficial (Albion loan spell). Being part of a promotion-winning side gives you confidence. Even though I didn’t play as much as I would have liked to, I still played a part in it.

“It helped me on a footballing level, being around the quality players that Brighton have. It taught me a lot and gave me the chance to carry that into the tournament - which I think I did.”

And his brief Albion team-mates have been quick to send their best wishes.

Tomori added: “Everyone at Brighton really helped me; I wouldn’t really single anyone out. The staff were fantastic with me, and that all helped towards a really good experience for me.

“Glenn Murray, Anthony (Knockaert), Solly (March) and Beram (Kayal) have all tweeted me. I’ve had a lot of nice messages, and then obviously from people at Chelsea as well.

“It’s been a crazy few days and I’ve had a lot of nice messages. It hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

Trending

How far will your car run on the fuel warning light - and can you get in trouble for running out of petrol?

COUNTY NEWS: Heartbreaking tribute to ‘beautiful’ mum and daughter who died in shooting